Into the Twilight
by RinoaLnhrt
Summary: It's been less than two days since they got back from Time Compression. How will they handle their new lives? Where will they go from here? Is everything really over, or is there a new threat to worry about? Vague summary, I know, but please R&R anyway!


A/N: Better summary: It takes place starting right after the ending of the game, the day after the party. Everyone's trying to figure out how to cope with their new lives, and for a while things seem like they'll calm down. But then something goes wrong and spirals out of control within hours. Before long, they realize that there is going to be an even bigger war at hand than the last two. With less down time in between the wars, how will the world handle this? And how will the Fated Children last through yet another battle when they are having their own emotional struggle through their new lives? They must remain strong to survive.

Short chapter since it's basically a mix of a chapter and a prologue. Okay, here we go!

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It had been only one one day since they'd defeated Ultimecia and gotten home from Time Compression. They had gone through one of the most important and strenuous battles in history, they had found their way home from a world created by a Sorceress driven to madness, and two of them almost didn't return home. They were all ecstatic upon returning, though they were also physically and emotionally drained and in dire need of rest. So, naturally, the first thing everyone did was throw an enormous party on the very same night that they returned. Nearly everyone who had been involved in the process of Time Compression and the battle was there, all celebrating the end of the battles, which meant the end of having to fight for their world. They had all gone to sleep happy and relieved, six of them in particular feeling as though the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders after hauling it on their backs through hell and back.

In the morning after the party, Balamb Garden had been moved to a new destination; Esthar. Mostly it was because they had all agreed that they needed to thank Laguna for his help, since he hadn't been able to attend the party. The headmaster wanted to make an official thank you gesture, and since the Ragnarok had been given back to Esthar, the whole Garden had to be sent there. Squall had a feeling it would end up involving a SeeD-assisted cleanup of the city from the chaos caused by the Lunar Cry. A small part of it though was that Laguna had asked a favor of Squall. Well, not a favor, more of a request, and as small as it seemed, Squall was certain he wasn't going to like whatever it was Laguna had asked him there for. Laguna had told him he wanted to talk to him after this was all over, and though Squall would have liked nothing better than to leave and not have to deal with the eccentric man any more than he absolutely had to, he knew he would be hearing constant reminders from everyone that Laguna wanted to speak with him about something 'important'.

And so, Squall Leonhart could be found that very pleasant and sunny early afternoon procrastinating his meeting with the President by browsing through the various stores in the Esthar Mall. He'd fallen asleep in his usual outfit, and hadn't bothered changing out of it in the morning. He was alone, having left in the early hours of the morning after a night of well-earned peaceful sleep. He had been so confused ever since the events of the previous night that it was almost all he could think about. It had felt so right, but then he automatically worried about how this new development would effect their new lives, and what would happen next. It was always 'what happens next?' in the past year or so. He gave a sigh, letting his mind recollect the moment he had played over and over in his head all morning...

_It had been a very clear night, not a cloud in the sky. The Garden was sailing over the ocean and the light of the stars was reflected clearly on the water beneath them. There was a celebration happening in the ballroom, but Squall preferred the balcony just outside of the room where it was quieter and more secluded. Rinoa, of course, was with him, and they were watching the night sky together without a word passing between them._

_There was now a sort of mutual understanding between them. They both finally understood each other's feelings, and they both understood that their meeting in Time Compression to be able to find a way home was more than a coincidence. They would never fully understand each other's mannerisms and attitudes at times though, but it was better that way, or else things could easily get boring._

_Squall blinked as he saw a shooting star in the sky, immediately reminded of the night he first met Rinoa. Rinoa, apparently, had seen it too, because she smiled broadly, turning to him and pointing up at the sky. In that moment, Squall felt more sure of how he felt than he had ever felt before. Seeing her smile, he smiled in return, something he had never done before._

_He wasn't sure of why he did what he did next. He stepped forward and softly took Rinoa's forearm, pulling her towards himself. Without giving her much time to react, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips, moving his arms around her to hold her close to himself._

But had that been the right thing to do? Squall shook his head a bit, closing the touch screen for the store he was browsing through. It was improbable, as he thought further, that she would want to stay there. He didn't see any reason she would want to, since Timber was finally free, though as far as he knew it was in complete anarchy at the moment since there was no president anymore. What did he expect, that she would want to be a SeeD?

He paused on that thought. That could be a possibility, and that would have her stay. He knew she didn't like the style of life they led, and he couldn't see her wanting to live that way at all. But the more he thought about her leaving, the more frantic his train of thought became. What would he do without her? He didn't like to think about it.

Squall took a deep breath and let it out, ridding all thoughts from his mind for a moment. When his thoughts were clear, he remembered why he was in Esthar in the first place, and why he was procrastinating. Reluctant but not showing it, he began walking out of the mall, intent on heading towards the Presidential Palace. As soon as he got to the exit though, he was rammed into by what he immediately interpreted to be a short yellow-clad female with too much energy for her own good, otherwise known as Selphie Tilmitt. She fell back as he kept his balance, and he tried to turn around to find a quick way of escaping. Though he admittedly was more social than he had been a year previously, he honestly did not really enjoy conversation while there was so much on his mind. He heard a loud but cheerful cry of "SQUALL!" though, and he stopped, his shoulders sagging briefly before he turned around to address his friend.

As he turned around though, his eyes fell on who Selphie was accompanied by, and he averted his gaze. Why did Rinoa have to always turn up when he did not feel like talking? He didn't mind talking to her, but he was so unsure about everything to do with her at the moment he didn't feel like he could handle it. Yes, the Commander of the most elite military force in the world, the man who had gone through one of the most important and difficult battles in the history of their world with barely a flinch, the Lion of Balamb, was feeling incapable of speaking to a woman he had jumped out into space to save, and who he had shown the most affection he had shown anyone in his life for less than twenty-four hours previous.

"Hi Squall," he heard Rinoa say. He opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it. _Not now, Rinoa...Sorry._ he thought, turning away from the both of them quickly and walking out of the Mall and into the streets of Esthar.


End file.
